Proud California hardcore from head to toe.

STRUT are a Southern California hardcore band formed in 2025, with members from Orange County, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire. Their sound is heavily tied to the mid-2000s West Coast hardcore era, with influences ranging from Internal Affairs, Carry On, Donnybrook, Piece by Piece, and No Warning to Youth Crew and the broader California hardcore scene. Their self-titled release is only around twelve minutes long, and honestly, that's all they really need. STRUT get in, throw out a bunch of riffs, yell their heads off, and get the fuck out.

“Winner Takes All” starts with distant guitars and a slow drum build before suddenly kicking into fast hardcore. The guitars have that crunchy early-2000s sound, while the fuzzy bass gives everything a little more weight. Zach's vocals are pissed without becoming difficult to follow, and the gang vocals immediately make the song feel like something meant for a packed room. The song slows down into a heavier groove before picking things back up, giving it enough movement without trying to do too much.

“No Life/Do or Die” gets right to it with faster drums and tightly locked guitars. The bass sits nicely underneath everything, keeping the track from sounding thin while the backing vocals add even more energy. There's a short slowdown in the middle before the band kicks back into the faster section, and that little change does a lot to keep the song from becoming one long blur of riffs.

“Replica” is probably the most stripped-down example of what STRUT do well. The guitars come in immediately, the drums stay locked in, and the song doesn't hang around any longer than necessary. There's something refreshing about that. STRUT aren't trying to squeeze a massive breakdown or unnecessary ending into every track. If the riff has done its job, the song is over.

“Penalty Kill” adds another level of aggression with blast-beat sections influenced by drummer Noah's interest in Infest. It still sounds like STRUT, though, because the faster drums are surrounded by the same chunky guitar work and groove that runs through the rest of the release. It's a good example of how the band can bring in another influence without completely changing direction.

“Golden” is one of the better songs on the release because of how it handles tempo. It starts slower, with deeper guitars and a heavier groove, before gradually speeding up. The band eventually drop back into a side-to-side section, and the whole thing feels like it was written with a live crowd in mind. Nothing is particularly complicated, but it works.

“For Us Only” gives the record a little breathing room. The bass and guitars slow down while the vocals take more of the focus, and the song feels more personal than some of the straight-ahead tracks around it. It still sounds like STRUT, but it shows they don't need to go full speed for the entire release to keep things interesting.

“W.M.S.” keeps things short before the band finish with their cover of the Cro-Mags' “Show You No Mercy.” It's an obvious choice considering how much older hardcore runs through STRUT's own music, and it fits naturally rather than feeling like a random bonus track. They aren't trying to completely reinvent the song either. They just play it like a band who genuinely loves that era of hardcore.

The production fits the music well. It's gritty enough to keep that underground feeling but clean enough that you can actually hear the guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. I especially like the bass tone because it gives the guitars more weight without disappearing underneath them. The drums are aggressive without being overproduced, and the gang vocals give everything that live-show feeling.

The only real issue I have is that the release is almost over before some of the songs have had much time to settle in. That's partly the point of STRUT, though. These are short hardcore songs designed to hit quickly rather than build some huge narrative. I wouldn't want them stretching these tracks out just for the sake of making the record longer.

What I like most is how comfortable STRUT are with their influences. You can hear the bands they love, but they aren't pretending they're doing something completely new. They're taking a sound they clearly fucking enjoy and putting it into their own Southern California hardcore scene. The result feels honest, and that counts for a lot in hardcore.

At around twelve minutes, STRUT is fast, loud, gritty, and easy to throw on again. “Winner Takes All,” “No Life/Do or Die,” and “Golden” are probably the tracks I'll come back to most, but the whole release works better as a quick burst than something you're supposed to sit down and overanalyze.